Alleged Dolla Killer Pleads Not Guilty to Murder

The man accused of murdering rapper Dolla has pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles courtroom on May 22, according to ThisIs50.com.

Aubrey Louis Berry entered the plea to murder and assault charges on the morning of May 22. The 23-year-old Atlanta resident is in jail on $5 million bail. His lawyer asserts that the shooting was out of self-defense.

Dolla, 21, was shot to death outside of the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles on May 18 in the afternoon. The suspect was detained when he attempted to board a flight leaving out of the Los Angeles International Airport.

Born Roderick Anthony Burton II, the rapper created a buzz off of his T-Pain-featured hit single, "Who the F**k Is That?" in 2007. He was signed to Konvict Muzik, Akon's record label, and was preparing to release his mainstream solo debut, Another Day, Another Dolla.

Akon released a statement to ABCNews.com on Tuesday saying, "Dolla was part of the Konvict Entertainment family and an incredible artist. This is a senseless crime and the industry has lost a real talent. Our heart goes out to his family, friends, and fans."